Determining the Effectiveness of Working Out Dads to Reduce Mental Health Difficulties in Fathers of Young Children

Summary

This is an individually randomised trial, where Working Out Dads (WOD) will be delivered as a group intervention. Participants will be randomised to one of two groups: either WOD or usual care.The trial aims to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of WOD, a 6-week week group-based peer support intervention, in reducing fathers' mental health difficulties in early parenthood.

Conditions

• Mental Health Issue

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Working Out Dads

The WOD is a manualised group intervention underpinned by solution-focused therapy and social cognitive theories. Psychoeducation about the transition to fatherhood and its potential impacts on wellbeing and family relationships is provided. Fathers are encouraged to share practical ideas for managing stress, revisit previous strategies, validate what they are doing well, and explore solutions. The group discussion is followed by a structured group fitness session provided by a personal trainer. This session focuses on body weight exercises, cardio-based activities, stretching, mobility and incidental activity. Fathers in the WOD study arm receive 10 weeks of encouraging text messages - one each week during the intervention, and four in the weeks after. These will be sent via the WhatsApp group created for each WOD group. These text messages and the WhatsApp group are designed to facilitate fathers' active engagement with the intervention, and to maintain contact with each other.

BEHAVIORAL

Usual care

The Usual Care arm, also known as 'Talking about being dad' comprises a telephone consultation with a qualified mental health professional. Topics including in this consultation include: (a) discuss family and fathering; (b) health and wellbeing; (c) mental health symptoms and conduct a risk assessment for suicidal ideation; (d) current supports and support needs; (e) provide referral options to telephone support services (PANDA; MensLine); and (f) encourage a general practitioner visit to discuss a mental health care plan.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Melbourne

  collaborator OTHER

• Tweddle Child and Family Health Service

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Australian National University

  collaborator OTHER

• La Trobe University

  collaborator OTHER

• Swinburne University of Technology

  collaborator OTHER

• Deakin University

  collaborator OTHER

• Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Rebecca Giallo, PhD · Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-06-24

Primary Completion

2024-05-31

Completion

2026-11-30

Countries

• Australia

Study Locations